There are so many people looking forward to Monday January 14th, a.k.a. the start-up of #etmooc, a Massive Open Online Course for Educational Technology & Media.  I’ve never taken a course like this before, but I’m really looking forward to it.  The topics are relevant and the schedule is flexible, which is so handy since many of us who are signed up for the course are busy — if we miss something, it will be available to us when we have a spare moment.

The best introduction for #etmooc that I’ve seen is written by Donna Fry (@fryed), entitled “What is #etmooc? And Why You Should Join Us…”.  For many, signing up for a course is scary enough, but if it involves technology, it may seem even scarier.  She has been able to provide a description of the course that is very welcoming, while explaining its relevance to educators everywhere.

Michael Fullan describes developments that are vital for “…technology and pedagogy to produce exciting, innovative learning experiences for all students….  These new developments must be i) irresistibly engaging (for students and teachers); ii) elegantly efficient and easy to use; iii) technologically ubiquitous 24/7; and iv) steeped in real-life problem solving.” (Fullan, Stratosphere, p4).  I do believe we have found some relevant learning in #etmooc.